Let Me Count the Ways
by griffin-queen-of-silver-skies
Summary: On this day, we were taught to be thankful for those we cherish. On this day, we consider the things that truly mean something to us, and affect our lives in ways we never could have imagined...


A/N: Hey all. Griffin-queen here with a little Thanksgiving fic for you. I am not sure how I feel about this one. I feel as though no matter what I do it seems rushed. It was more or less shameless Sebastian fluff for myself that I decided to share with everyone xD. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy it. If you are celebrating Thanksgiving today, have a safe and happy holiday.

* * *

" Your guests are about to arrive, Young Master. Shall I see to the door?"

" Yes, fine. Welcome everyone in, you know what to do."

" If I may be so bold, master, what exactly sparked this desire? It was my understanding that you hated social gatherings."

" As if it's any business of yours, Lizzy was saying that she hadn't seen me in a while, and I thought it might be in good taste to invite her and her family over. And I thought that I may as well make an event out of it, as there are always some… unexpected guests. I've stopped trying to prevent it at this point." The young boy seemed firm in his opinion… however Ciel's words betrayed him, as they often did. Something in the young master's tone spoke otherwise. Sebastian wondered what the real reason was for inviting everyone here today…

Whatever the reason, it had been quite a day at Phantomhive Manor. A magnificent feast had been prepared by Sebastian and the rest of the Phantomhive staff, with the addition of Agni, prince Soma's right hand. Agni was a great help in the kitchen, as he was able to keep the other three servants in check while Sebastian worked. It gave the butler peace of mind, and kept the kitchen in one piece. Everyone was content today, it seemed.

After dinner was eaten and enjoyed, everyone headed to the ballroom for an evening of dancing. Ciel was doing his best to entertain Lizzy, thought he was beginning to grow ever so slightly exhausted from her special brand of merriment.

Once everything was clean, and his duties were all caught up, even Sebastian was permitted to entertain the guests. He spent the evening whirling the ladies around on the dance floor. After a while, every lady in the room, both young and old, wanted a chance to dance with the debonair butler.

However, as with all things, the night eventually came to an end. The guests were escorted to their carriages, and Sebastian carried a sleeping Lizzy out with the rest of the Midford family. Once everyone was safely on their way home, Sebastian returned to the manor. As efficient as he was, there was little need for cleanup. Everything had been taken care of as the night progressed, and the mansion looked as immaculate as it had before the festivities began. Traveling up the stars, Sebastian's thoughts of guests and entertaining were locked away until the next time he needed them. All that was left was the young master, wherever he might be. As predicted, Ciel was already lying on his bed. The young boy was still fully clothed, but he was very much asleep. Sebastian chuckled, swiftly preparing the boy for bed and exiting the room. Sebastian was quite eager to return to his own room for the night, craving a moment of blissful peace and quiet.

Sebastian walked up to his door, sticking the brass key into the lock and turning it. He could feel the lock turn clumsily, and soon the knob gave way in his hand. He opened the door and walked into his room, closing the door quietly behind him. Rolling his shoulders with a sigh, he removed his jacket and placed it on the hook near the door, ready in an instant if he needed it. During the process of bending over to untie and remove his shoes… something caught his eye, something that had not been there this morning when he left the room. Straightening himself, he walked over to his desk, where something was sitting that he was sure did not belong to him…

On his desk was a tiny little cat figurine, immortalized in a sitting position, no higher than four inches tall. The tiny cat was a midnight black color, with a red, silken bow around its neck. Lovely yellow eyes gazed playfully back at him… and the mouth was curved in such a way that he could almost see a smile… Sebastian realized that his mouth had been hanging slightly open, and he shook his head, almost embarrassed. This figurine appeared to be skillfully crafted by someone that had quite a bit of experience with this sort of thing. Sebastian picked the tiny creature up with the utmost of care. Even through his gloves, he could feel that the cat was crafted from porcelain, with a smooth, shiny glaze over it. He turned the figure over in his hands, searching for some sort of clue as to who the tiny cat belonged to. He could find nothing, except for a peculiar, circular hole in the creature's side, and a tiny, elegant "C" carved into the bottom of the cat's paw. Confused, he put his tailcoat back on, and walked out into the hall carrying the creature with him.

As he walked, still looking down at the creature, He came face to face with Tanaka, who was now in a set of white pajamas, and a white nightcap.

" Oh… Pardon me Tanaka. Is everything alright?"

" Good evening Sebastian. Yes, everything is fine. Just dealing with some of the annoyances of growing old." The old man chuckled, his wrinkled face drawn into a smile. His face faltered when he realized what Sebastian held. " Oh? What is that you have there?"

" I'm not quite sure… I found it on my desk upon entering my room for the night. It's not mine, I'm sure someone must have left it behind by mistake… although I'm certain I locked my door. Perhaps I did not turn the key all the way." Tanaka chuckled again, his eyes glowing.

" Oh no. That was no mistake. I believe you are the lucky one this year." Sebastian cocked his head to one side, utterly baffled.

" I'm afraid I don't understand…" Tanaka chuckled and drew ever so slightly closer to Sebastian.

" Are you aware of the American tradition of Thanksgiving?"

" Why yes, I have heard of it. Though I have yet to experience it in person."

" Well, both Vincent and Rachel were avid believers in the holiday."

" The late Lord and Lady Phantomhive?"

" The very same. They loved that holiday, and so they instilled that same love in their son. They taught him to always be thankful, and to never laugh at or mock those less fortunate than himself." Sebastian was slightly confused by this statement. Ciel had indeed been known to look down upon those in a lower class than himself… "Since he was barely old enough to walk, they began a tradition with young Ciel. Every year, they told him to make something all by himself… Something with his own hands that he spent time on creating… That something was to be a gift for the person in his life that he was the most thankful for." Sebastian's eyes grew very soft, and he looked down at the tiny cat, then back up at Tanaka. " I believe that's what you have there in your hands."

" I-…" Sebastian was speechless… something that had happened maybe twice in his long lifetime. He remained that way, until he felt a withered hand pat his cheek.

" You don't have to say anything… because you didn't hear anything from me." The old man laid a finger aside of his nose, and winked at Sebastian.

" My lips are sealed…" Sebastian bowed his head.

" Now, with that, I bid you a good night." Tanaka turned to walk away, though he stopped. " Oh, and Sebastian?"

"Yes?"

" I would like for you to remember that home is where your heart is. The place where they care about you the most, and would welcome you back with open arms no matter what you've done or said."

" Is there… A reason you would like for me to remember this?" Tanaka smiled at the slightly baffled look on the butler's face.

" Just a small bit of advice in the spirit of that holiday."

" Ah. Well then, I shall remember it well. Thank you Tanaka."

" Goodnight, Sebastian."

Tanaka walked off toward his room, and soon disappeared into the darkness. Sebastian shook his head for what felt like the millionth time that night, trying to rid his mind of the fog that he felt setting in around it. With an air of absentmindedness that did not suit him in the least, Sebastian turned on his heel and headed for his own room once again. His skin tingled when he entered the room.

" Odd… There was no chill in the air just a few minutes ago." Shrugging, Sebastian decided to light a small fire. Once it was nicely burning, he removed his coat and shoes, setting them near the door so that they may once again be ready for him in the blink of an eye. Demons were relatively unaffected by extreme temperature changes. They could not fall ill because of them, and certainly could not die from them. However, Sebastian sat on his bed, enjoying the licks of warm air drifting over his arms from the crackling fire.

Sebastian sat cross-legged, mesmerized by the tiny trinket in his hands… He felt warm from his head to his toes, and now it was accompanied by an almost… fuzzy feeling. If it meant feeling like this, Sebastian was content simply to hold the tiny creature for the rest of eternity. He was also pondering the old man's words… wondering if this…sense of "home"… was what he truly desired. Demons by nature were beings of chaos, and so "desire" was a loose term that could mean any infinite number of things. However, every demon had something that he or she desired above all else… And Sebastian was beginning to wonder if this was what that meant to him.

Home… Sebastian began to repeat the word in his mind and consider what it actually meant. He never really felt as though Hell held a place for him to call "home." He did have a place where he was born and raised, but he could not find the ambition needed to call such a place "home." Home was an entirely human word… and it brought with it an entirely new set of emotions that mystified Sebastian. This place was full of people that loved him… And though they drove him to emotions that far surpassed anger and irritation, he had to admit… he loved them too. They were a motley crew brought together under one name. Servants of Phantomhive… Sebastian placed a hand over his heart… This feeling of belonging… a purpose far greater than himself… it was simply sublime. Home is indeed where your heart is, and Sebastian's secret heart was woven deep into the tangled web that was Phantomhive Manor.

Sebastian was unsure as to why mortals often ran around claiming demons to be cold, unfeeling monsters. Such accusations were, for the most part, hilariously false. Idiots and fools were ignorant to a demon's emotions… Demons did in fact possess their very own set of feelings and emotions. In fact, a demon's emotions ran more wild and far more passionate than any living mortal. But, because of that, a demon's emotions were his best kept secret. If left unchecked, a demon could be consumed by his own emotions, causing destruction and ruin to all who stand in his way.

Sighing, Sebastian looked back down at the tiny creature. Laying down gently on his warm blanket he raised the cat over his head, eyeing the small hole on the side of the creature. It looked as if it was meant for a key, although Sebastian had not found anything like that on his desk. Sitting up, he looked over at his desk again, still finding nothing but his books and papers. However, his sharp eyes picked up on something… Something on the floor was reflecting the light. Carefully, Sebastian knelt down on the floor to search for whatever his eyes had caught. To his surprise, a golden key did in fact lay on the floor, as if it had been hastily dropped and then forgotten. Sebastian picked up the key in his hand, sitting back up on his bed and admiring it for a moment. Picking the cat back up, he inserted the key into the hole on the creature's side. To his delight, a small tune began to play after a few turns, and Sebastian instantly recognized the tune as "Greensleeves…"

He would never admit it to anyone… but Sebastian adored music boxes… their tiny chimes and subtle tunes soothed him in ways that he was sure none of the mortals in his life would understand… He listened to the tune, thinking of the life he was currently living… He thought of the young master… a feeling of fondness washing over him as soon as the boy's face drifted through his mind. This young boy was just a mere child of thirteen, and yet he had taught a demon, a being as old as time itself… that there was still so much to learn. Sebastian had been kept on his toes since the day they were bound by their contract, and it was still as exhilarating as it had been that night… To have a reason to rise in the morning, Sebastian thought, was truly one of the finer things in life… And when he was following his orders, performing his duties as a butler, it was almost as if he had never been hungry in the first place. Sebastian briefly admitted that even if for some reason he was not able to consume Ciel's soul, he would be happy living on like this for as long as time permitted…

His thoughts continued to drift about, and the tiny cat continued to play its tune… and Sebastian was entirely unsure of when a river of tears had run down his face… Instantly alarmed, he sat up, a strange noise resembling a sob escaping him. Gazing at himself in the mirror, he dried his face with his ungloved hand. Momentarily put off by this sudden display, he felt the urge to move… and so his shoes and jacket were once again put on, and he hastily left the room.

As if by some strange force, unknown to even a demon… Sebastian found himself at the doorway to his master's room. Opening the large door, he was instantly greeted with a rush of air that smelled of fresh rose petals. It was rather pleasant to him… though he still could not understand why humans adored the smell as much as they did. He still did not understand a great many things about humans… but perhaps, in time, he would learn.

Sebastian moved silently into his master's bedroom. Like a shadow, he moved effortlessly about the large space with no fear of waking his sleeping charge. As predicted, the little lord was sleeping soundly, exhausted from the events of the day. Carefully, he placed his candelabra on the side table, and sat down on the edge of Ciel's bed. Removing a glove, he placed his bare hand on Ciel's cheek, stroking it gently for a moment as a grin crept onto his face.

" Prowling the streets of London in service to your Queen, tirelessly seeking revenge for the murder of your parents… And now melting the heart of a demon. You truly are an ambitious young thing, aren't you? My young lord." Bending down ever so slightly, he placed a ghost of a kiss upon the boy's forehead. " Perhaps you will be what they call the light in the darkness."

"Mmm…" A slight groan escaped Ciel as he stirred. " Se-…bastian?" He called sleepily. As fleeting as a dream itself, when Ciel opened his eyes his butler was nowhere to be seen in the room. Only the comforting darkness of the night stared back at him. " I was sure I felt someone sitting with me…" Shrugging, Ciel burrowed back into his blankets, departing for his dreams once again.

Just outside the door, Sebastian leaned against the door, allowing himself the rarest of smiles… When the cunning smirk was removed, and the haughty glare gone from his eyes… Sebastian's smile was truly beautiful. It lit up his face in an otherworldly way, and even angels would find themselves green with envy. As the fleeting moment passed, Sebastian straightened his body and began to walk down the dark hallway, guided by the tepid halo of his candlelabra and followed by the resonant tapping of his heels. All was quiet…save for those words that had been uttered so many times before.

" And now… I shall prepare for tomorrow."

* * *

A/N: Eek! I hope it didn't suck too bad X_x. I apologize in advance for the terrible formatting. I've been on this site since '04, and I still cannot figure out how to work the spacing and such.


End file.
